Gorse Management 2014/15

We have recently coppiced another section of gorse between the 5th & 6th fairways. As in previous years, to encourage re-growth of healthy and robust plants the gorse has been coppiced to a height of 150 mm.

Early in the new year will tackle another area of degenerate gorse on the right-hand side of the 6th temporary green.

Gorse Management Plan - Phase II

Cutting back gorse

Chipping gorse

After coppicing and removal of debris

Looking down the 6th fairway

Remedial Work On 17th Green

To help improve the surface drainage and reduce grass plant dieback through the central section of the 17^th green we have been carrying out additional aeration operations.

The area has aerated with 12mm diameter solid tines and instead of backfilling with sand we have used a product call Bio-Sorb. 

Biosorb is a naturally occurring mineral containing thousands of microscopic diatoms (pores), which when added to the soil helps to increase percolation rates by introducing non-compacting pore spaces into the soil profile. 

Plant dieback on 17th green

Aerating centre section of 17th green

Spread and back filling Biosorb

Biosorb brushed in

Course Update

The bunker alterations on hole 12 are progressing extremely well. The sub-base and drainage works on the left-hand side greenside bunker has now been completed. The final shaping and grading work should be finished this week, ahead of re-tufing next week. The sub-base and drainage works have also now been completed on the cross bunker and final grading work should commence shortly.

Shaping left-hand side green-side bunker

Green-side bunker ready for turfing

Cross bunker - Sub-base & drainage completed

The staff have also been busy upgrading some of the paths and walkways on the course. The banking down from the 5^th green to the 6^th and been re-turfed and rubber safety matting installed. The buggy path between the 8^th & 9^th holes has also been refurbished. 

Resurfacing the buggy path between holes 8& 9

Winter Schedule Update

We have recently started the bunker alterations on hole 12. The cross bunker is being slightly realigned and the left-hand green-side bunker moved closer to the putting surface. The right-hand side bunker is also being refurbished and new drainage installed.

Realigning cross bunker

Moving green-side bunker

The next phase of drainage works on hole 12/13 has also commenced. We plan to install approximately 300 meters of drainage pipe-work.

Plan of drainage works

Pipework being installed in front of 12th green

Additional drainage in front of the 13th tee

On hole 7 the worn bunker faces have been stripped back, rotovated and made ready for turfing.

Hole7 - Bunkers ready for turfing

We are also working on the slope from the 5^th green down to the 6^th tee, when the ground works have been completed this area will be turfed and safety black rubber matting installed.

Professional tree surgeons were on site recently and completed the following works:

Dead and decaying branches were removed from the Beech tree on the corner of the 14^th fairway and the from the Sycamore trees alongside the boundary wall on the same hole.

The Leylandii hedge at the 16^th tee was trimmed back and four trees removed from southeast elevation. 

They also felled a number of Sycamore trees from the rock face in the Quarry practice ground.

Removing dead wood from beech tree on hole 14

Greenstaff have removed the low branches from the copse on the right-hand side of the 8^th hole and thinned out the pine tree plantation behind. The pine trees behind the 14^th medal tee have also been thinned out

Hole 8 - Right-hand side of fairway

Short Game Practice Area - Update

Update - SGPA

The chipping green was seeded, raked and rolled on Tuesday 2^nd September. The bankings and surrounds were completed two days later.

We have chosen a seed mixture, which contains 60% perennial ryegrass and 40% slender creeping red-fescue. At this time of year the perennial ryegrass seed normally starts germinating at around day 14 and the slower growing fescue seed by day 28.

The rapid establishment of the perennial ryegrass seedlings will give the new turf sward strength and excellent wear qualities and in doing so give protection to the slower growing fescue seedlings. The slender creeping red fescues seedlings when fully developed will give good wear tolerance and due to its high shoot density it will produce a compact tight sward.

I have included some pictures taken over the last 10 days of the seeding of the chipping green and the first signs of seed germination.

Chipping green ready for seeding

Day 1 - Seeding chipping green

Green seeded, raked and rolled.

Day 7 - First signs of seed germination

Day 8 - More seed germination

Day 9 

Course Update - August 29th

This week in addition to our normal daily cutting and maintenance schedule we have been hollow coring, over-seeding and top dressing a number of tees. The par 3 tees were completed three week ago and the results have been excellent, the new seed has germinated and is already helping to produce stronger and much denser swards.

Hollow coring the 15th tee

The reason we over-seed at this time of year is because soil and air temperatures are ideal for optimum seed germination and growth. With adequate moisture, nutrients and sunshine the new seedlings should be well established before the colder autumn/winter weather sets in.

Next week the remaining tees (1,6,9&18) will be completed.

Short Game Area Update

Despite experiencing some delivery delays the project is progressing extremely well. The chipping greens irrigation has been installed and is ready for connection to the main irrigation system. Work continues on the chipping greens surface and the immediate surrounds. The bunkers have also been excavated and are almost ready for shaping and contouring.

Over the last three days 360 tonnes of materials have been delivered to the site of which 320 tonnes has now been spread. 

The first 20 tonnes of root-zone being delivered

Connecting irrigation pipe-work and sprinklers

Shaping the bankings sub-base

Spreading the chipping greens root-zone

Excavating the first green-side bunker

Excavating the second green-side bunker

Provided the weather holds we envisage the chipping green being ready for seeding on Tuesday/Wednesday next week and the bankings and surrounds the following week.  

Short Game Practice Area Development

Blogging Resumes

I thought I would begin with a short up-date on the progress of the short game practice area development and also post some pictures.

The chipping greens sub-base has now been constructed and the greens perimeter drainage installed. The drainage grit layer, which is a 2 mm to 6 mm diameter stone will be spread over the sub-base early next week. This layer will stop the root-zone washing down and blocking the perimeter drain and prevent integration of the root-zone and the sub-base.

Next week we take delivery of the root-zone, which is approximately 240 tonnes. With the assistance of an outside contractor this should be spread over the chipping green by the end of the week. 

Some pictures of our progress:

Looking down from the 9th Tee with the green & bunkers marked out

Sub-base being delivered

Checking the levels and spreading the sub-base

Installing the perimeter drain

Perimeter drain installed

Further updates to follow

Course Update - February 2014

Out on the course we have started our spring bunker refurbishment program. The bunkers on both courses are being edged, cleaned out and sand levels replenished.

The approaches and walkways have been intensively aerated with 19mm diameter tines to a depth of between 150/180mm. These areas are now being top-dressed with sand and brushed. In time this type of maintenance will improve the drainage and playability of these areas.

This winter many hours have been spent re-furbishing the course furniture. The course and balcony benches have been sanded down and received several wood treatments. Tee markers, course bins, planter boxes, flag pins etc have all been prepped and re-painted, ensuring they are in pristine condition for the start of the new playing season.

The newly re-built 7^th medal tee is rooting extremely well and has recently been lightly top-dressed and brushed. Weather permitting this tee should be ready for play from the beginning of April.

In the workshop, the grass cutting machinery and our extensive range of course maintenance equipment is being serviced and made ready for the start of the new season.

The small garden at the entrance to the overflow car park has also received a make over and the signage around the clubhouse has been replaced. 

The small garden at the entrance to the overflow car park

Drainage Hole 13

This week we started our last drainage project for this winter. We are concentrating on the area between the 12^th green/13^th tee and directly in front of the 13^th tee. This is another area, which becomes waterlogged after prolonged rainfall.

The water will be piped from in front of the 13^th tee, round the 12^th green and into the woods on the left-hand side of the 12^th hole.

A total of 110 meters of 160mm perforated drainage pipe-work will be installed during this project.

The area between the 12^th green and in front of the 13^th will also be renovated and re-turfed.   

Drainage Plan - Route of new pipework marked in blue

Waterlogged area in front of 13th tee

Pipework being installed behind 12th green

Excavating the trench between 12th green and 13th tee

Stripping off the waterlogged turf in front of the 13th tee

Drainage Project – Approach to 17th Green

The 17th green has been intensively aerated, scarified and top dressed over the last few years and although the thatch levels are still considered excessive, its playability has slowly started to improve.

What is a little disappointing is the front section of this green and the approach, which again has become extremely waterlogged.

Our initial plan was to install a short ten-metre section of drainage pipe above the green on the right-hand approach to the green. This drain would intercept and divert the surface water away from the green's putting surface.

But like a number of other small drainage projects, it has now grown arms and legs.

Excavating drainage trenches

We have now extended the pipe-work and drained the hollows on the right-hand of the green and at the same time and more importantly discovered an old broken tile drain that was completely blocked.

Because the tile drain had collapsed it was clearly not allowing water to flow away from this area.

Collapsed drain uncovered

Water flowing away from the unblocked drain

Ready for pipe-work

Although it will undoubtedly take some time to dry out, what is encouraging is that the new drainage pipe-work is already moving water away from this area.

Drainage Works - Hole 13

I am delighted to report that we have now completed the 1^st phase of drainage works on the 13^th hole. A total of 245 meters of perforated drainage pipe work has been installed. The new drainage pipe work trenches were backfilled with a gravel/grit mix, before being top- soiled and re-turfed.

Another trench excavated and ready for pipe-work

Irrigation pipe-work and power cable safely negotiated   

When ground conditions improve or become more suitable we will complete the landscaping and repair work on the left-hand side of the hole.

The next phase of drainage works will centre on the approach to the 12^th green, the area between the 12^th green and 13^th tee and the area in front of the 13^th tee.

We also have plans to re-furbish the bunkers on hole 12 and install new drainage systems to these bunkers.

This next phase of works is scheduled for next winter.